Iran Raps Zionists’ Desecration of Al-Aqsa Mosque

In a statement on Wednesday night, Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Nasser Kanaani strongly condemned the move by the extremist Zionists who have defiled the Al-Aqsa Mosque, chanted racist slogans there, and attacked Palestinians under the pretext of holding the provocative Flag March.

The sacrilegious actions, taken with the support of the Israeli military and security forces, and also the coincidence of such provocative move with the continuation of the apartheid Zionist regime’s genocidal war and persistent crimes in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, show Tel Aviv’s intention to escalate the crisis in Palestine and the broader region, the spokesman warned.

Kanaani stressed that Palestine and the Al-Aqsa Mosque are respected by all the true followers of Abrahamic religions, and the racist Zionist cult will gain nothing but global hatred, especially from Muslim nations, by taking such insulting and provocative actions, the Foreign Ministry’s website reported.

The child-killing and occupying Israeli regime is now more isolated than ever before in the world, and without doubt, such moves will only worsen this isolation and hatred toward the regime, he added.

The Iranian spokesperson finally called for united action by the Islamic countries to effectively counter the murderous acts of the usurping Zionist regime against the Palestinian nation, as well as to support Islamic and religious holy places, especially the Al-Aqsa Mosque as the first Qibla of Muslims in the world.

On Wednesday, thousands of Israelis joined a march through occupied East Jerusalem al-Quds, with some attacking Palestinians and shouting racist slogans, as part of an annual demonstration marking Israel’s occupation of the city.

The parade has come amid heightened tensions as Israel pushes on with its war on Gaza, which has killed more than 36,500 people, mostly women and children.

The Jerusalem Waqf, the Islamic authority that oversees the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound, said more than 1,100 Israelis encroached on the site, known to Muslims as al-Haram al-Sharif (the Noble Sanctuary) and to Jews as Temple Mount.

The Israeli regime captured East Jerusalem al-Quds during the 1967 war and subsequently annexed it in 1980 in a move not recognized by the international community.

Al-Haram al-Sharif has remained under the management of the Jordan-appointed Waqf and only Muslims are allowed to pray at the compound.

However, Israel’s security forces often allow Israelis to raid the site. In past years, Israeli forces have also attacked worshippers inside Al-Aqsa Mosque.